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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26685766">variation on a theme (too familiar, it seems)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chahakyn/pseuds/chahakyn'>chahakyn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>now i’m no longer alone (a 5, 6, 7 friendship series) [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crying, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, No Incest, POV Alternating, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Season/Series 01, Sibling Bonding, Translation Available, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:42:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26685766</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chahakyn/pseuds/chahakyn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“This is a dream,” he reminds himself firmly. “It’s just a dream.”</p><p>But then why does it all feel so <i>real</i>?</p><p>-</p><p>Just 3 messed up kids and their equally messed up nightmares.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Number Five | The Boy &amp; Ben Hargreeves &amp; Vanya Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>now i’m no longer alone (a 5, 6, 7 friendship series) [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>111</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Five.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">

        <li>
          Translation into Русский available: 
            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29024202">variation on a theme (too familiar, it seems)</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/greengoroshek/pseuds/greengoroshek">greengoroshek</a>
        </li>


    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>set after <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26369542"> this fic</a> but can be read as a stand-alone </p><p>(note that this is an alternate universe where Five comes back from the apocalypse after a few years, Ben doesn’t die, and Vanya discovers her powers way earlier)</p><p>fic title from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ELUze85wI&amp;ab_channel=HopeTala-Topic"> Summer in Paris (Interlude)</a> by Hope Tala</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Five scrambles to his feet, dust and rocks crunching underfoot as he takes in the familiar scene before him.</p><p>“This shit again,” he mutters, nearly rolling his eyes in spite of the lurch of his stomach. This desolate landscape is one that he’s seen in his mind more times than he can count, but the accompanying feelings of fear and panic still feel as fresh as the day 3 years ago when he jumped to the future.</p><p>Five finds himself unconsciously stepping closer to where he knows the bodies of his siblings lie. His eyes narrow.</p><p>“Can we maybe <em>not</em> do this, for once?” He tries to plant his feet into the ground, pressing his weight down to his heels. But his body ignores his attempts to stop, feet dragging steadily forward. Plumes of dust rise from the floor, swirling up in the air and coating the back of his throat. Five coughs.</p><p>“This is really getting old,” he drawls into the empty air, though his voice shakes as he sees the jut of Luther’s hand peeking out from under the rubble. The glass eye is still there, as he remembers it. Five touches it carefully with his fingers, considering if he should pluck it from Luther’s fingers. He frowns, shaking his head as he pulls his hand away.</p><p>“This is a dream,” he reminds himself firmly. “It’s just a dream.”</p><p>But then why does it all feel so <em>real</em>?</p><p>Five turns away, hurrying towards where he knows the others are located. It seems he can’t stop his progress; perhaps, then, speeding through it is the best course of action.</p><p>But time seems to irrationally slow despite his stride. His eyes are reluctantly drawn towards his siblings, the horrifying images ingrained ever deeper into his mind. Diego’s twisted neck. Allison’s hair soaked through with blood, but still fanned out like a dusty glowing halo. Klaus’s feathered jacket waving in the breeze, every little twist of the fabric tricking Five’s mind into thinking it’s his body twitching awake, alive.</p><p>“It’s just a dream,” Five repeats to himself. “They haven’t died yet. I still have time to save them.” He grips his arms, curling into himself before managing to tear his gaze away.</p><p>Five lets out a sigh of relief as his body turns, the pressure on his chest lightening with every step away from his sibling’s bodies. It’s much easier after this part. All he has to do now is keep trudging on through the wreckage until he wakes up. It’s boring, but he’ll take that over dead bodies. It’s—</p><p>Five freezes, squinting as a familiar navy cloth peeks through the fallen bricks ahead. He walks forward cautiously before his eyes widen, stumbling closer to the shape of a body. His hands shake as he shoves broken bricks aside, exposing Ben’s face.</p><p>“No,” Five gasps, heart jumping into his throat as he sees the path of dried blood streaked down the side of Ben’s head. He tears through the brick and rough-hewn stone, fingertips raw and bloodied as he pulls Ben out of the rubble. “No, no, no—"</p><p>Ben’s head lolls to the side in Five’s arms, eyes staring blankly into the empty air. Five lets out a choked sob as he presses his forehead against Ben’s chest, numbly noting the lack of a heartbeat.</p><p>This isn’t right, Ben should be here, he shouldn’t be dead.</p><p>Five catches sight of a hand caught in Ben’s grip, familiar calluses lining the fingertips; his mind stutters to a halt. <em>Vanya</em>.</p><p>“No, please no, not you too,” Five babbles helplessly as he gently places Ben’s body down before scrambling towards her. His palms and knees scrape against the sharp rocks.</p><p>Five pushes the rubble away frantically, pulling Vanya up enough that he can cup her face with his hand, disturbing the fine layer of dust covering her.</p><p>“<em>Shit</em>,” Five bites out through his tears, voice shaking. He brushes his thumb against her cheek, the blood from his fingertips smearing across her skin. They’re both dead and they <em>shouldn’t</em> be. This isn’t right, this isn’t how it was supposed to go—</p><p>He <em>has</em> to fix this.</p><p>Five sets Vanya’s body down before curling his fingers into fists. He grits his teeth as he tries to summon his abilities, willing himself to feel the familiar prickle of energy crawling up his spine, bending the fabric of reality around his fingers and letting the air ripple with the familiar blue tint of power.</p><p>But it doesn’t come. All Five can feel is a hollow shiver, skin burning with overexertion and desperate energy as tears prick at the corners of his eyes.</p><p>“C’mon, c’mon, come <em>on</em>,” Five snarls. His nails dig into his palms, cutting the skin open.</p><p>“How disappointing.”</p><p>Five whips around, posture tensing as he sees Reginald standing before him, cutting a sharp, clean figure against the desolation surrounding them.</p><p>“I told you that you weren’t ready, Number Five,” Reginald says flatly, gaze cold.</p><p>“You—” Five yanks Reginald down by the lapels of his coat, shaking him desperately. “You’re wrong, you know <em>nothing</em> about what I can do.”</p><p>“Are you quite finished?”</p><p>Five growls, fist colliding hard with Reginald’s cheek. Reginald works his jaw slowly as he gives Five an unimpressed look. He seizes Five’s wrists, grip unyielding despite how Five spits and struggles.</p><p>“You have no one to blame but yourself, Number Five.”</p><p>Five bares his teeth. “That’s not true—"</p><p>“Number Five!”</p><p>Five’s head jerks back in disbelief as he blinks in confusion. That…wasn’t Reginald’s voice.</p><p>“Dad?”</p><p>“Five, please.”</p><p>It sounds…like Vanya’s voice. But Vanya is <em>dead</em>.</p><p>“Five, wake up!” Reginald shakes Five a little harder, Five’s teeth clicking together with the force of his movements. “Wake <em>up</em>!”</p><p>Five’s eyes shoot open as he sits up in bed. Or, at least he tries to sit up.</p><p>“Five?”</p><p>Five blinks blearily, struggling desperately at the feeling of his wrists pinned to either side of his head. He looks up, gaze meeting the familiar warm brown of Vanya’s eyes.</p><p>“V-Vanya?” He stutters, voice heavy with sleep.</p><p>Vanya relaxes. “Oh good, you’re back with us. Are you alright?”</p><p>“I, uh…” Five clenches his hands, open and closed, as he gives Vanya a confused look.</p><p>“Ah, sorry!” She lets go of him, backing off a little as she gives him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, you were thrashing around pretty violently.”</p><p>“Yeah, you got me in the face,” Ben says from where he’s perched on Five’s left, words muffled through the hands cupping his mouth. Five’s eyes widen as he scrambles to sit up.</p><p>“Shit, Ben, I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“All good, no harm done.” Ben swats Five’s hand away, wincing as he works his jaw. Moonlight peeking through the curtains illuminates the swollen line of Ben’s lip, and Five feels a sudden ache deep in his knuckles.</p><p>“Okay, maybe a little harm done,” Ben says, eyeing Five’s stony expression. “But it’s okay, I’m fine.”</p><p>“Are <em>you</em> alright?” Vanya touches Five’s wrist gently, directing his attention back to her. “You had a nightmare, didn’t you?”</p><p>“I don’t want to talk about it,” Five mutters, avoiding both their gazes. He feels them exchange a look over his head.</p><p>“That’s fine. Do you want us to leave?” Ben asks carefully, nearly jumping surprise as Five’s head whips up.</p><p>“<em>No</em>—” Five cuts himself off, inhaling deeply before looking at them both in turn. “Stay. Please.”</p><p>“Of course,” Vanya murmurs, tangling her fingers with Five’s. “We’re not going anywhere.”</p><p>Ben rests his hand on Five’s knee, squeezing as he gives Five a reassuring smile before they all slide under the covers. It’s a bit of a squeeze; Five can’t recall the last time the three of them shared a bed like this, all huddling under the covers.</p><p>(But that’s a blatant lie. The night Five came back from the apocalypse, thin and shivering and exhausted, they had clung desperately to each other through the night. It wasn’t until the first rays of sunlight began to slant through the curtains that Five could hear Ben’s breathing finally even out. He’s sure Vanya didn’t sleep at all.)</p><p>They fit together now, legs tangling and elbows accidently shoving into ribs. Vanya’s whispered apology hangs in the air as Five drapes one arm over her stomach and grasps Ben’s hand tightly with the other, finally settling down.</p><p>But it’s too quiet. Five resists the urge to squirm, to turn over and check both their pulses, even though he can feel the subtle movements of their bodies next to him, chests rising and falling and hearts beating evenly.</p><p>The image of their dead bodies is burned into the backs of his eyelids, taunting him every time he closes his eyes. Five grits his teeth. They aren’t supposed to die, he won’t <em>let</em> them die. Not if it takes every ounce of his willpower, every fiber of his being. He would rather die than see than happen.</p><p>Five doesn’t want to tell them what he saw. What with abandoning his family for 3 years and then suddenly coming back and making them almost witness Ben’s destruction as well as the awe-inducing power behind Vanya’s new abilities, Five knows he’s brought enough fear into their lives already. They don’t need anymore of that from him, especially in the form of fictional dreams.</p><p>He can handle his own fears. He s<em>hould</em> be able to handle his own fears without any help.</p><p>But he can’t. The urge to tell them sits deep in his throat, the words itching on his tongue. He tries to bite them back. But they swell, pressing against the roof of his mount until he feels like he’s going to be sick</p><p>“Breathe, Five,” Vanya murmurs sleepily, fingers tapping aimlessly against his shoulder. “You’re thinking so hard I can feel it from here.”</p><p>“It was the apocalypse again,” Five blurts out in a whisper, eyes squeezed shut. “I dreamed of it. But your bodies were there this time.” He feels Vanya’s quiet gasp, Ben’s fingers curving over his shoulder.</p><p>“Oh, Five—”</p><p>“<em>Don’t</em>,” Five hisses, feeling tears build behind his eyelids. “I don’t want your pity. I’m <em>fine</em>.”</p><p>He hears Ben let out a quiet sigh before shifting next to him.</p><p>“Five. The 3 years you were gone were the worst of our lives.”</p><p>Five’s eyes shoot open as he rolls over, fury in his gaze.</p><p>“You don’t need to <em>remind</em> me—"</p><p>“But you’re back now,” Ben interrupts, meeting his gaze calmly. “We’re back together, and I know that everything is going to be okay because <em>you’re</em> here with us.”</p><p>Five freezes, breathing shallow as he stares at Ben. Behind him, Vanya shifts, propping herself up on her elbow. She reaches out, touching Five’s chin to move his face towards her before brushing a careful thumb against his cheek.</p><p>“You aren’t alone anymore, Five. We’ll be right there with you every step of the way. Okay?”</p><p>Five nods jerkily against her fingers, blinking rapidly to push the tears away. Vanya smiles, lying back down before curling up next to him. Five takes deep, steadying breathes as they settle again, wiping a stray tear from his cheek with his sleeve.</p><p>Soon, he can feel the slow, repetitive motions of Ben and Vanya’s breathing lulling him closer and closer to sleep (though he’s pretty sure Vanya is still awake; her breathing pace matches Ben’s too closely to be a coincidence).</p><p>Nonetheless, Five feels his eyelids growing heavier and heavier until he can’t prevent himself from falling into a deep, dreamless slumber. The three of them sleep so deeply that they don’t even notice the creak of Five’s door opening in the morning.</p><p>Grace steps in, eyes widening at the unexpected messy tangle of bodies crammed into Five’s small twin bed. She smiles, shutting the door gently.</p><p>Just 5 more minutes. The children seem to need it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Six.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s so <em>dark</em>.</p><p>Ben reaches out, flinching as the dark reaches back, twining sinuously around his fingers. He yanks his hand away, watching the tendrils vanish in the dull fluorescent light. He’s in the manor, and yet he isn’t. He’s standing in the dark lobby of the library, the two buildings meshing together in an unsettling combination of locations.</p><p>“You need to go. It’s part of the mission.”</p><p>Ben turns, looking up at Luther.</p><p>“Do I have to go in?”</p><p>Luther frowns, his face twisting into something that looks more like Reginald. “Number Six.”</p><p>Ben acquiesces with a huff, pushing the double doors open to the kitchen. It’s dark, so <em>so</em> dark, and there are more doors here than he knows the kitchen has in real life. But he knows where he is and he knows where he needs to go.</p><p>He races through doors in a way that’s almost random. There’s something behind him urging him to select doors. He opens them faster and faster, desperately trying to escape what’s behind him, chasing him. Dinosaurs? Monsters?</p><p>Ben steels himself and stops, turning. A sense of dread washes over him and for a moment, Ben wonders if this is it. If he’s going to die. But there’s nothing behind him but darkness. Darkness and an overwhelming sense of fear. Uneasy, Ben turns back to the doors. He opens another and suddenly, there are no more doors. It’s a stage he stands on now, complete with blinding lights and raucous applause.</p><p>“You need to leave.”</p><p>Ben whips around to see Vanya holding out her hand to him. He takes it tentatively, looking her up and down. She’s dressed up, wearing the sort of evening gown that she could have had if Reginald would let her attend the events they all go to. She’s wearing a mask too; not their mission masks, but something more like a masquerade mask, silver gilding lining the cream edges in a celestial motif. It’s a beautiful mask, and yet it frightens Ben quite terribly.</p><p>“Vanya?”</p><p>“You need to leave,” she repeats. He can somehow hear her over the thundering applause.</p><p>“But I don’t know where I am?”</p><p>“Leave <em>now</em>,” she says even louder, reaching up to remove her mask. Ben shuts his eyes quickly, terrified of what might be beneath it. It doesn’t make any sense, but he has a feeling he shouldn’t see it.</p><p>“Number Six!”</p><p>Reginald’s voice echoes through the auditorium, bouncing across walls that he can’t see. The stage lights blind him as he whips around, squinting into the audience. One by one, the lights shut off and suddenly, the crowd begins to <em>scream</em>.</p><p>Ben stumbles back, tripping and falling just as the last stage light dims. It’s dark, <em>so</em> dark. Ben’s fingers curl against the stage floor, breathing ragged. The screams keep going, never-ending shrieks of pain that assault his ears. When will it stop, he needs to make it ­<em>stop</em>—</p><p>A singular light suddenly flicks on, bathing the auditorium in a sickly green glow. The screaming stops. Ben looks up to find the audience seats…empty. He doesn’t understand.</p><p>“H-hello?”</p><p>“Ben.”</p><p>Five’s voice. From above. Ben’s head jerks up to the ceiling, brow furrowing as he sees a pulsating ball of blue light.</p><p>“Five? Are you there?”</p><p>“Ben!”</p><p>Tentacles suddenly emerge from the blue light, mirroring the appearance of his own. They wave benignly in the air for a moment before turning. They shoot towards Ben without a moment’s hesitation. Ben yelps, throwing his hands up in front of his face. He feels the tentacles churn in his own stomach, bursting through and reaching out to meet the others in the middle—</p><p>Ben’s eyes shoot open, body frozen as he jolts awake. A chill runs down his spine as he begins to come back to himself, mind categorizing his own body. He can feel where his legs have kicked out from under the covers, the chilly night air suddenly registering against his skin. His hands clutch at the covers as something wriggles insistently from under his shirt. Ben sighs, lifting the material half-heartedly and letting tentacles tumble out of his stomach in a rush. They squirm in discomfort, stretching out and roaming about the room in a manner reminiscent of patrolling guard dogs.</p><p>“You too, huh,” Ben muses, wiping sweat from his brow as he watches them. One wriggles rather violently in response, knocking itself against the wall.</p><p>“<em>Shit</em>, no,” Ben hisses, reaching out. But it’s too late. The energy in the room tilts slightly off kilter, blue static sparking in front of Ben. In an instant, a familiar blue portal appears, spitting Five out neatly.</p><p>“You good?” Five says, tense.</p><p>“Accident, sorry.”</p><p>Five hums, gaze tracking the tentacles as they move about. “And them?”</p><p>“Not as much of an accident,” Ben replies uneasily, leaning back. “Had a nightmare, let them out to calm down.”</p><p>“Ah.” Five pauses, tilting his head. “Want to talk about it?”</p><p>Ben snorts, shaking his head. “You know how my dreams are. Incoherent as shit.”</p><p>“If only we could all be so lucky.”</p><p>“Incoherent doesn’t mean not scary,” Ben says, miffed. Five makes a vaguely apologetic noise, seating himself carefully next to Ben. A tentacle inches closer, curling benignly around Five’s wrist. It taps his skin hesitantly, an unsteady beat.</p><p>“My dreams are always…divisive,” Ben murmurs after a few minutes of sitting together in silence. Five tilts his head in acknowledgment.</p><p>“I’m always being told to do one thing by some people and another thing by other people. And then I don’t know what to do. Do I go? Stay? Run? Hide?” Ben shrugs one shoulder half-heartedly, falling back onto his bed with a soft noise. “There’s never enough time to make a decision either. So I’m stuck, even if I knew what to do.”</p><p>“Well, lucky for you, real life is a little better than the dreams.” At Ben’s inquiring noise, Five rolls his eyes. “You have us to help you choose. Me and Vanya.”</p><p>Ben’s throat tightens. “Yeah.”</p><p>“You know that, right? And if we can’t help you choose, well, we can always buy you some time.”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“Ben,” Five exhales, exasperated. “We’re here for you. Don’t be such an idiot about it.”</p><p>“Says <em>you</em>, Mr. I-Don’t-Need-Anyone’s-Help-Ever.”</p><p>“It’s different,” Five says with an uncomfortable wave of his hand. Ben snorts.</p><p>“It really isn’t—”</p><p>“Point <em>being</em>,” Five interrupts quickly, “You might be alone in your dreams, but you’re not alone out here. You’ve got us and we’ve got you, and nothing’s going to change that. Alright?”</p><p>“Yeah, alright,” Ben says quietly, shifting over as Five lies down next to him. The tentacles gather themselves a little closer to Ben now, calm as they tangle in the space between Ben and Five.</p><p>“Vanya has more patience than me,” Five reminds him. “So, if you need a reminder that you’re not alone, she’ll be more than happy to indulge you.”</p><p>“Feeling <em>very</em> loved here, thanks.” Ben says dryly, yelping as Five shoves his finger against Ben’s forehead.</p><p>“Think about that next time you wake me up in the middle of the night.”</p><p>“Fine, <em>fine</em>.”</p><p>Five’s stilted smile softens for a moment as he brushes Ben’s hair from his forehead. Ben watches the movement carefully. Five’s hard to read a majority of the time, but in this moment, this liminal space, Ben can read him loud and clear. Five cares quite deeply, and no amount of sarcasm will ever truly hide that.</p><p>“Thanks,” Ben whispers, eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiles. Five sighs, but the dimple in his cheek deepens regardless.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>a shorter dream than five's, but i wanted to try my hand at emulating the kind of weirder, disjointed dreams that barely make any sense but are unsettling as hell (aka the kind of dreams i have)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Seven.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vanya starts, attention snapping into focus. She’s standing in front of a table full of glasses lined up in a neat row. Reginald stands behind it all, giving her a look.</p><p>“Proceed, Number 7,” she hears him say.</p><p>“I…I don’t know what to do,” Vanya says, brow furrowing as she looks at the glasses. Reginald scoffs.</p><p>“Don’t be ridiculous, you know exactly what to do.”</p><p>He steps forward, bringing a tuning fork down against the hard wood of the table. And it’s the oddest thing; the moment the tuning fork makes contact, she <em>does </em>know what she needs to do. The knowledge crowds her mind, moving about like a hazy memory, like something conjured up from a daydream.</p><p>Vanya closes her eyes, fists clenching as she focuses. She feels the vibrations in the air, their movements sending a shiver down her spine. She feels herself reach out, mind latching onto the vibrations with all the familiarity of coming home after a long day; Vanya tugs at them just so, and the vibrations begin to turn, bending to her will.</p><p>Now what?</p><p>The glasses, perhaps? That seems right.</p><p>Vanya visualizes the glasses lined up neatly a few feet away and pushes, feeling the vibrations crowding around her disappear in an instant to do her bidding.</p><p>The sudden sound of shattering glass startles Vanya enough that her eyes shoot open, watching in shock as the glasses explode one by one. Glass flies wildly about, and Vanya steps back in fear. But the glass seems to avoid her.</p><p>Vanya looks up, eyes widening as she sees Reginald touch his face. A trickle of blood runs down his cheek from his cracked monocle; he removes it from his face and looks at her, unsurprised and unpleased.</p><p>“Subpar, Number 7.”</p><p>“It’s because you’re ordinary, isn’t that right?”</p><p>Vanya whips around, coming face to face with Allison. Allison tilts her head, raising a challenging brow at Vanya.</p><p>More glass suddenly explodes and Vanya shrieks, throwing her hands up as she feels the vibrations hum stronger around her, the thump of something falling to the floor adding to the noise. Reginald’s body is now slumped to the floor, glass protruding at painful angles from all over his body. Vanya lets out a choked noise, trying desperately to rush to his side. But she can’t <em>move</em>.</p><p>Allison walks carefully in front of Vanya, blocking her view of Reginald’s body. She’s wearing her mask now, for some odd reason, and Vanya feels the inexplicable urge to reach up and touch her own face. She starts as she feels the edge of that familiar mask beneath her fingertips, the mask she so envied her siblings for. It meant they were powerful; it meant they were <em>special</em>.</p><p>Allison smiles like she can see every thought in Vanya’s head. Vanya shivers, letting her fingers fall to her side where they clench.</p><p>“You <em>think</em> you’re just ordinary. But that’s not true, is it?” She says, grinning even wider now. Vanya’s eyes widen as she backs away unsteadily, shaking her head.</p><p>“No, you’re wrong, you’re <em>wrong</em>—”</p><p>“I heard a rumor—”</p><p>Vanya gasps as Allison’s voice appears suddenly close to her. She turns to see Allison to her immediate left, hand cupped next to her mouth as if to tell Vanya a secret.</p><p>“—that you’re not <em>ordinary</em> at all.”</p><p>Vanya stumbles away, gasping and flexing her fingers as she feels a ripple of energy around her. A high-pitched tone echoes through the empty room, ricocheting in her head before shooting down her arms. Vanya glances down and starts as she sees her chest glow, blue light hovering around her. She can feel the vibrations in the air, just waiting for her to reach out and pluck them as she pleases. It’s a power, a supernatural ability; it’s all she’s ever wanted and yet it’s <em>terrifying</em>.</p><p>“No! No, you’re wrong, take it back, take it <em>back</em>!” Vanya flexes her fingers, eyes widening as the air around her begins to hum, vibrations warping her vision. She lunges at Allison, hands fisting the material of her blazer and shaking in a desperate effort to reverse the change. But Allison only laughs, looking cruelly satisfied as she shakes her head.</p><p>And then suddenly, it isn’t Allison that Vanya is throttling. It’s Ben, eyes wide in fear as his hands come up to grip her wrists. His hands are shaking. Her hands are shaking too. She can’t let go of him.</p><p>“Please, Vanya. Don’t do it,” he says helplessly, eyes shining with unshed tears as her fingers unwillingly tighten their grip. Vanya can feel the vibrations in the air strengthening, the high tone increasing in volume and she can’t stop the blue energy that coalesces around her, lifting the edges of her hair in the nonexistent wind and turning her skin a deathly pale color. Ben gasps in terror, nails digging into the skin at her wrists in an attempt to make her let go.</p><p>“Vanya! Don’t do it!” Ben begs, trying to yank himself free from her grip in increasingly desperate motions.</p><p>Vanya shakes her head, hair whipping in her face. “I can’t stop, I don’t want to hurt you!”</p><p>“Vanya!”</p><p>Vanya feels a hand grip her shoulder and she whips around, Ben all but forgotten. Five stands before her, brow furrowed in that way it always does when he’s trying to work out a particularly complex problem. The familiarity is such a reassurance that Vanya nearly cries in relief, relaxing as she reaches out to touch him.</p><p>“Five, I—”</p><p>The air tightens around her, energy coursing down her arm and bursting out of her fingertips and Five is suddenly blasted back by her abilities, landing on his back with a surprised cry.</p><p>“Five!” Vanya rushes to his side, dropping to her knees a few feet away, her hands fluttering about uncertainly. “Five, I don’t know what’s going on, please, you have to help me!”</p><p>Five gasps, scrambling away until his back hits the wall behind him. He presses his back against the wall, the fearful look in his eyes so unlike his usual cool confidence.</p><p>“Please don’t do this,” he says, chest heaving with exertion.</p><p>Vanya throws her hands up in the air. “Do what?! I don’t know what I’m doing! I can’t control it, I don’t know what’s going on and I need <em>help</em>!”</p><p>The walls around them rattle ominously, and Five lifts his hand in fear, though whether it’s to shield himself or to push her away, Vanya is unsure.</p><p>“<em>Please</em>, Vanya,” he begs, voice cracking. Vanya lets out a frustrated cry, doubling over as her hands clutch at her hair. She doesn’t want to do this, but the vibrations are so loud, the motions as easy as breathing in and out and the energy is gathering and Five’s yelling her name, but she can’t stop, she <em>can’t stop</em>—</p><p>Vanya wrenches her eyes open, choking on a stuttered cry as she bolts up in bed. She faintly registers the sound of things falling around her, wincing instinctively. Her vision blurs with tears that she tries to shove away impatiently, her ears sensitive to the sound echoing in her room, the tick of the clock, her own heartbeat, the familiar sound of the fabric of space warping—</p><p>“Vanya,” a voice whispers as someone touches her shoulder. Vanya gasps, jolting back before her eyes meet Five’s. His gaze is calm and cool, tinged with concern and worlds away from her last image of him in her mind, begging and pleading and so very <em>scared</em>.</p><p>“Five,” Vanya says shakily, reaching out for him before hesitating. A twinge of fear registers in her mind as her hand hovers uselessly midair; what if he pushes her away?</p><p>But he doesn’t. Five grasps her hand tight in his, carefully seating himself on her bed. He ducks his head a little, reaching up to wipe some of her tears away with his thumb.</p><p>“Nightmare?” Five says, the questioning lilt at the end more of a formality than anything. He recognizes the signs, knows what it’s like to jolt awake in the dark, breathless and fearful.</p><p>Vanya nods unsteadily, leaning forward to press her forehead against his sternum. His hand moves quickly; resting on the back of her neck, it’s a comforting weight holding her down, grounding her.</p><p>“Do you want to see Ben?”</p><p>Vanya makes an inquisitive noise between sniffles.</p><p>“You were crying out our names.”</p><p>“Oh.” She pauses before nodding slowly. Five hums, tucking her closer against him before pulling them out of Vanya’s room and depositing them at the foot of Ben’s bed in a heartbeat. Ben yelps at the sound their arrival, hurriedly sitting up as he rubs the heel of his palm over his eyes.</p><p>“Jeez, you scared me. What’s going—” He freezes, taking in Vanya’s tearstained face and Five’s tense posture, his arm wrapped carefully around her. “Oh, Vanya, are you alright?”</p><p>Vanya shakes her head mutely, stumbling out Five’s grip and towards the bed. Ben opens his arms without hesitation, wrapping around Vanya as she falls against him, sobbing into his neck. Ben cradles the back of her head with his hand, settling her more firmly on the bed as he soothes her gently.</p><p>“We’re right here, you’re okay—"</p><p>“What if I’m not,” Vanya interrupts shakily, pulling away after a moment. Ben hums questioningly as Five settles on the bed next to them.</p><p>“What if these powers that I have…What if I can’t control them? What if I hurt you?”</p><p>“It’s something we have to deal with,” Ben says with a sigh. Five nods, tapping Vanya’s wrist to get her attention.</p><p>“We’re not going to lie to your face and tell you that you won’t hurt us. Because you probably will. We’ve all hurt each other on accident. That’s just how it is when you have powers that nobody quite understands.”</p><p>“I don’t want to do that. I don’t want this!”</p><p>Ben loosens his hold on Vanya, letting her pull away to catch her breath. She feels him exchange a glance over her head with Five before taking a deep breath.</p><p>“When I get scared of what I could do, I like to challenge it by thinking of the good I’ve done.”</p><p>“But I haven’t—"</p><p>“Vanya, the first time your powers emerged was for us,” Five says with an impatient wave of his hand. “You were trying to save us. I think that speaks a lot to your powers and to <em>you</em>.”</p><p>“But I could still—"</p><p>“Yes. As we all could,” Five interrupts tersely.</p><p>“The bad always comes with the good,” Ben says quickly, trying to smooth the harsh truth of Five’s words. “That’s how the world works.”</p><p>“I know, I know, I know,” Vanya groans, burying her head in her hands. After an uncomfortable beat of silence, Five speaks carefully.</p><p>“It won’t be as bad, though. You said so yourself: we aren’t alone. That means you too.”</p><p>Ben gasps suddenly, shaking Vanya’s shoulder. “Quick, grab a camera, we have to memorialize the moment. Five not being a horrible pessimist? Vanya, who is this <em>imposter</em>?”</p><p>“Oh, fuck off,” Five hisses, batting away Ben’s hands amidst Vanya’s watery giggles. “I’m a <em>realist</em>, we’ve been over this so many times—”</p><p>“Nope, nope, something’s wrong, maybe you have a fever? Check, Vanya, check.”</p><p>“He feels fine?”</p><p>“Because I ­­<em>am</em>—”</p><p>“Delirious, must be something he ate—”</p><p>“Okay that’s enough,” Five snaps, shoving Ben over. He clambers over Vanya in a heartbeat, mashing Ben’s face into the pillow. “If I were truly a pessimist, I would not be here indulging you because I would’ve given up with dealing with your shit long ago.”</p><p>“Liar!” Ben declares into the pillow, voice hopelessly muffled.</p><p>“Okay boys, enough roughhousing,” Vanya says with a laugh, tugging Five’s hands away. Ben lifts his head, hair mussed beyond repair.</p><p>“It’s only over once you feel better.”</p><p>“I do. I promise.”</p><p>“Are you sure? I can egg Five on a little more if you need to laugh—”</p><p>“<em>Ben</em>,” Five hisses, rolling his eyes. “I will leave, I swear.”</p><p>“Don’t,” Vanya says quickly, grasping his hand. “Stay, please.”</p><p>“He is right, you know.”</p><p>Vanya hums as she looks up at Ben. His hair still looks ridiculous, but his gaze is sharp and clear. And it’s reassuring, to know that even as late as it is and how inconvenient this all must be, her brothers are willing to be completely present and bring their all to comfort her when she needs them.</p><p>“It’s a two-way street. You’ve got our backs when we need it, but we have yours too. Always. You know that, right?”</p><p>“I do,” she replies, and she means it. She knows that as they all shuffle into Ben’s tiny twin bed–“I swear if we keep this up, I’m going to ask Grace for bigger beds.” “Five, please shut up.”— she knows that as Ben’s hand finds hers and Five’s arm tucks securely around her waist. She knows that as both their breaths slowly even out just as the sun begins to peer out from under the horizon.</p><p>She knows that they’ll be there for her. Always.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>if you're a 567 fan, consider checking out the <a href="https://567hargreeves.tumblr.com/"> 567 network</a> that i'm co-creator of with <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/apocofive/pseuds/apocofive">meredith</a>!! we reblog 567 content, run a discord server for fans, and are currently in the process of hosting a 567 content creation week!!</p><p>interest checks for 567 week <a href="https://href.li/?https://forms.gle/vvDwiS1vtFTUgVAD6">can be found here</a>, please give it a look if you're interested!!</p><p>come find me on <a href="https://shizuoi.tumblr.com/"> tumblr</a> if you want to chat!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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